Blizzard Squeezes $88 Million From Private Server Owner

[Darkstar370]

So in short a lot people here support piracy... at least the moment someone gets punished for it. Ridiculous.
I also feel sorry for the woman that made hundred thousands of dollars, if no even millions, with an illegal server, got a C&D letter, ignored it furthermore and then got caught!

But yeh Blizzard is the greedy one /facepalm.

Please, read the whole thread before you post again. NOBODY is here supporting piracy. People are just angry at the overkill penalty

Good to see running a private gaming server has harsher penalties than the maximum liability limit on a catastrophic oil spill (They were capped at 75 million but chose to pay more).

GG America, nothing like making digital theft always more extreme than real world disasters or actual physical theft.

And no, I don't support what they did, I just find it odd that physically stealing a copy of a game gets me lighter charges than downloading a copy of it (which is true).

 

[Blackjack 222]

Its not that much from their point of view, just few more milimeters on official Blizzard money pile.

They must think it's pocket change.

Seriously, Blizzard, what the fuck? She made 3 million, sue her for 3 million, jesus. Way to act completely and utterly like a faceless corporate entity number 420. This is the last drop, I've no respect for this company.

I respect them because one day they will own this fucking planet, and my WoW account dedication earns me a certain immunity from the death camps.

 

[fozzy360]

And if you qualify as one of the people who don't have a soul, fine. I'll keep my "Rational person card". It's you who has lost his ever loving mind. Get out, please.

You are a pig, fit for the slaughter. Buy a gun, and blow your brains out. It's the only way to save your FUCKING soul. DO IT.

And I'm the soulless, ethically bankrupt one? LOL!

 

[Blackjack 222]

And if you qualify as one of the people who don't have a soul, fine. I'll keep my "Rational person card". It's you who has lost his ever loving mind. Get out, please.

You are a pig, fit for the slaughter. Buy a gun, and blow your brains out. It's the only way to save your FUCKING soul. DO IT.

And I'm the soulless, ethically bankrupt one? LOL!

I liked that response, as weak as the argument is i liked that.

 

[Aanorith]

Seriously, this is to much. I not a fan of private servers or piracy, if you like something support the developers by buying it yada yada. But this? Debt for life and then some. Making an example of someone is a pretty medieval approach. But I suppose Blizzard wears the crown of a tyrant quite well.

 

[ChiryX]

Serves that fcker right... stop making private realms so retarded kids say "i play wow for free lololo its totally like the real 1" those ppl piss me off >.<

 

[Vhite]

While I don't condone game piracy, and this is a certain form of piracy, Blizzard is being rather extreme here.

Yes, but I think she will get over it, Blizzard cant expect to get all that from her so they just take all her cookies and leave her be IMHO. Anyway this is extreme kind of piracy. I dont know that much about private servers but as far as I know, you need something stolen directly from Blizzard, its not part of regular game you can buy or download and she was using it to help others (probably thousands if it was succesful server) to pirate the game.

 

[Blackjack 222]

While I don't condone game piracy, and this is a certain form of piracy, Blizzard is being rather extreme here.

Yes, but I think she will get over it, Blizzard cant expect to get all that from her so they just take all her cookies and leave her be IMHO. Anyway this is extreme kind of piracy. I dont know that much about private servers but as far as I know, you need something stolen directly from Blizzard, its not part of regular game you can buy or download and she was using it to help others (probably thousands if it was succesful server) to pirate the game.

Exactly, one day 3 guys from Blizz will show up raid her fridge, steal her cookies and take the air from her tires. end of story.

 

[alrekr]

Blizzard will crush your financial assests and consume your soul

 

[TerribleAssassin]

>.< thats ALOT of money.


I only have £5 in loose change, you'd be extremely lucky to find $88 million lying around.

 

[Dana22]

Seriously, this is to much. I not a fan of private servers or piracy, if you like something support the developers by buying it yada yada. But this? Debt for life and then some. Making an example of someone is a pretty medieval approach. But I suppose Blizzard wears the crown of a tyrant quite well.

Dura lex sed lex.

She was warned few times, got c&d, but ignored everything. Its like someone sees the naked wires with a sticker right next to them saying "Danger, high voltage", and still puts his hand in there.
Deserves to pay bajilions for stupidity.

 

[Valksy]

Let's get this straight. She knew exactly what she was doing. Even went as far as setting up a bloody company to do it. Then stole someone else's intellectual property. Then charged people for using it.

Short of writing "kick me hard" on her own forehead she was fucking begging for what has happened to her.

Dumb ***** has it coming.

And please, condemning bankruptcy as a terrible evil in one breath and then espousing suicide in the next? How tedious....

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

snip

so? I still don't see your point.

giving up the profits is fair however in this case, a 85m fine is unnecessary and damn right ridiculous even so, when the information is based on unsubstantial evidence, everything gets blown out of proportion.

by the way,don't edit a quote to fit your agenda. it's rude and childish.

Why don't you read the first page and notice that the part that says I quoted from you you DID NOT say. I had you and like 3 other people quoted but THAT part that I did quote was what I was actually responding to.

Don't jump to conclusions because THAT is childish.

Also to go back on to the 85 million dollar fine. If they fined her something like 250k or something like that along with everything else and she was able to pay it back easily she would probably think that she could get away with it again. The 85 million dollar fine is to:

A) Send a message to all Private server owners
B) The Private server infinged upon their copyright of the materials and if I remember correctly that is a SMALL amount for copyright infringement.

Personally I think that she is VERY VERY lucky she was not hit with a much larger fine.

What does it matter if its larger. It stops mattering beyond 10 million because its an amount so beyond her ability to pay back that she has to become bankrupt anyway. And she is. This disgusts me. They have killed this women financially. She has nothing now, its just so much overkill. They may as well cut off the number and gone "You owe us EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER OWNED!". The number is arbitrary.

 

[Yarpie]

Ouch. Well, I doubt she can claim that she didn't know the risk.

 

[Albino Boo]

Time for a little perspective, she made $3 million dollars from running an illegal server. That $3 million represents 2.65% of blizzard/activision total profit for 2009 and thats just from 1 hack sever operator. The $85 million in statutory damages is money award according to STATUE in other words they asked for the amount they are entitled as defined by law. Its not some figure they made up on whim but a figure calculated according to a formula that was passed into law by democratically elected legislators. That $85 million is equal to 75% of blizzard/activison profits for 2009 which is an indicator of the scale of the infringement that was purley for her own personal gain.

 

[Curtisthekiller]

Mess with the mob, you get your knees broke.
Mess With gangland turf you get shot.
Mess with Blizzards market and they will sue you so hard they will OWN you and nine generations of your decendants. bankrupt fileing notwithstanding.
yay for blizzard! seriously! now maby they can get back to makeing games!

 

[Delusibeta]

Ultimately, if she ignored a Cease & Desist, then it would be fair for Blizzard to take her to the cleaners. That said, not $85 million worth of cleaning. Honestly? The total reward's probably ten times too high. $8.8 million's probably high enough to send out a message while not awaken trolls on random internet forums.

(Oh, and Variel, I believe creating an alternative account to evade an suspension will result in a permaban. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.)

 

[Corpse XxX]

Overkill

Overkill

If i've ever seen one, this must surely be it..